Purpose: This Information Bulleting invites you to nominate an outstanding Cooperating/Interpretive Association or a Friends Group from your state to receive this year’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Excellence in Public Lands Partnerships Award. The award will be presented by our Director or her representative at the Association of Partners for Public Lands (APPL) Annual Convention held March 5-9, 2006 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Policy/Action: Each State may nominate one Interpretive or Cooperating Association (IA) for the Bureau of Land Management’s Excellence in Public Land’s Partnership Award that recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of an IA or friends groups that has made a significant contribution to the BLM’s interpretive, environmental education or public outreach programs. The award was created to stimulate and reward creative partnerships in the BLM. Nominations must address the criteria listed in Attachment 1.

Background: This award recognizes an IA or friends group that has formal assistance agreements with the BLM and has shown exceptional support to the BLM’s interpretive and environmental educational programs and outreach. This support may be providing financial assistance, assisting in the production of outstanding interpretive or environmental education materials, developing or conducting interpretive programs, helping the BLM to obtain grants or any other effort to help the BLM accomplish its interpretive or environmental educational goals.

In late 2005 the BLM began using the term Interpretive Association (IA) instead of Cooperating Association. This term is also used by USDA Forest Service.

Previous award recipients were the Public Lands Interpretive Association for Public Lands, the Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, The San Juan Interpretive Association and Trail Tenders Inc. They received their awards for outstanding efforts in helping the BLM’s interpretive and educational outreach programs.

Timeframe:Immediately

Following the instructions in Attachment 1, please submit your nomination package to Amy Galperin, National Lead for Interpretation at the Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215. Award nominations are due no later than February 23, 2006.

Budget Impact:None

Contact: Amy Galperin, National Lead for Interpretation at 303-239-3960 or E-mail her Amy_Galperin@co.blm.gov.